CITIZENS of Trinidad and Tobago have been wronged by people who have used the water sector to pursue agendas for profiteering.
This according to Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales in a release on Sunday in response to the weekly press conference of the United National Congress.
He said, “The citizens of this country have been wronged and victimized over the years by persons who see the water sector as their vehicle to pursue their own self-seeking agendas for profiteering and self-enrichment at the citizens expense while we, the citizens, continue to experience a precipitous decline in the availability of water in our taps.
“Almost the entire country is on a water schedule despite the fact that all available reports confirm that we are a water-rich country.
“To facilitate the necessary turn-around in this untenable situation, the Government levelled with the population and laid in the National Parliament, an unbiased report of our findings on the operations of the country’s Water and Sewage Authority.
“That report disclosed why, despite the expense of over $28 billion in ten years, our citizens continue to suffer for a daily supply of water.”
He said the report has disclosed the scandalous state of affairs in the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) – the sole state agency charged with the responsibility for ensuring that there is a reliable water supply.
Gonzales said, “We cannot afford to return to the days of the Beetham Waste Water re-use scandal or unsustainable desalination contracts which are the hallmarks of UNC malpractice whilst in government.”
